New Delhi: Nineteen-year-old Naitik travelled over 30 kilometres from Noida to Karol Bagh’s Shishi Club for what was supposed to be Taylor Swift’s sangeet. Instead, he was met with a snoozefest. The event, set to begin at 7 pm, dragged on until 9 pm, largely because barely anyone showed up.
Initially, the organisers brushed it off as “Delhi being fashionably late.” But even as the hours slipped by, the sangeet stayed dull and empty.
Despite the dhols and Taylor Swift tracks trying their best to lift the mood and get people moving, the party fizzled out early and wrapped up by 10:30pm.
Show Full Article
“Swiftie parties are usually buzzing with people. I have never seen one flop like this before. Maybe it’s because of the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup,” said Naitik, dressed in a shiny black kurta, the ultimate festive-season staple for men.
“I am gutted for Ashmeet, he really goes all out with organising these events. And, they are always a hit.”
The event was the brainchild of Ashmeet Singh Saluja, who runs an Instagram page, ‘losertaylorsversion’, under which he organises Taylor Swift events for the singer’s fans. He teamed up with ‘saddi.galli’, a community that throws fake sangeets just so people can dress up in wedding outfits and dance their hearts out. Together, they rolled out “Taylor Sang Travis Sangeet Party” across six cities, to celebrate Taylor Swift’s engagement to Travis Kelce with a desi-style sangeet.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s mock sangeet poster | Photo: Instagram
The sangeet tour kicked off in Mumbai on 13 September, reaching Delhi the next evening.
Tickets started at Rs 950, which included entry and a drink, and bookings went live on Sort My Scene. Saluja told ThePrint that he managed to sell 150 tickets but watching the Delhi edition fizzle left him heartbroken, with his efforts falling flat. He, now, has concerns about his upcoming sangeet events as well.
“We have already connected with the upcoming city venues to make sure we don’t repeat this. We’re pushing harder with promotions, working closely with venues to ensure their crowd and my crowd both come together, and I am hopeful the upcoming ones will be strong,” he said.
Also read: Bollywood’s war against paid film critics. Nadiadwala Grandson wants probe now
Delhi vs Mumbai
Ashmeet Singh Saluja, 21, works at a Pune-based IT firm. But, over weekends, he trades his cubicle for a DJ booth, hosting Taylor Swift-themed parties and playing pop hits for fellow Swifties.
A self-proclaimed “Swiftie since forever”, Saluja began organising fan events in 2022. His first gathering, in December that year, drew just 45 people. But the community, called “Blondie Mata Ka Jagrata”, grew exponentially. Today, over 750 people are part of the community’s WhatsApp group. Saluja’s Instagram following is 10,000.
So far, Saluja has hosted over 100 events across cities, regularly attracting crowds of 200 to 300 people.
Last year, he took things to a whole new level with “Swiftchella”, a Coachella-inspired Taylor Swift tour that drew over 10,000 fans across multiple cities.
“It was India’s biggest Taylor-themed tour. The turnout was insane. It was a vibe. We danced our hearts out to Taylor Swift songs,” recalled Naitik.
People dancing to Taylor Swift’s songs at the mock sangeet | Photo: Triya Gulati | ThePrint
He and his friends swayed to Love Story, lip-syncing every word with full-blown Swiftie spirit.
But the sangeet in Delhi, with barely 20 attendees in sarees, lehengas, and kurtas, was “one-of-a-kind experience.”
“It was disappointing even for me. In Delhi alone I have hosted 50 such events. But, this is the first time in almost 3 years that people bought tickets and then didn’t turn up,” said Saluja.
“Maybe there were two big matches that night (India cricket and Manchester football) so maybe that clashed.”
Just a day earlier, Saluja’s Mumbai sangeet party had drawn a crowd of 300, all dressed in their festive best. Videos from the event, available on his Instagram, show youngsters dancing to dhol beats, singing Taylor Swift songs, and grooving to Punjabi tracks.
Naturally, the low turnout at the next event left him a bit deflated.
“The Mumbai event was wild, exactly what I always aim for — full crowd, great energy, everyone having the best time. I had the same expectations for Delhi too, which is why this feels so off,” he said.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)